Thread: Indy 500
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Originally Posted by oldE View Post
Clowns? Seriously?
This sort of knife edge stability crops up each time the rules get changed to slow the cars and the aero folks go looking for a new advantage.
I would submit that one does not test for running in reverse. Yes, the cars sometimes get sideways or even backwards, but if you are trying to maximize the speed on the straights and the cornering force, you're not likely to also try to make a car that remains glued to the track at 200 mph pointed in the wrong direction.
Totally wrong! Indycar is all about safety.
So many rules about power limitations to avoid unsafe speed, tub design, safer barrier, pit speed, etc...
Years ago, they banned side skirts that went to the ground due the problem of unstable handling when the skirts were knocked off.
Cars are required to have the driver's feet in the tub behind the axles for safety.
Wheels must have a tether for safety.
They won't race at the Las Vegas track due to safety.
I remember there being limits placed on cars at a TX track because they were going too fast. The bumpers on the back were put there for safety.
The list goes on and on.

These cars regularly get turned around on ovals and for the engineers to not test what happens when the car is going backwards would be criminally derelict of duty. I suspect it is an engineering calculation mistake rather than blatant neglect.
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Old 05-20-2015, 03:10 PM
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